MENTORING

Peer mentoring is an essential element of the pastoral care system in our school. Each year, Fifth Year students take on this leadership role in the school as they work to support First Year students to become familiar with and to settle into their new environment. Mentors meet the First Year students on a formal and informal basis, acting as a support system for them and as role models of good behaviour.

Apart from helping the First Year girls to settle into school, we feel that the mentors play a valuable role in creating a positive school spirit. They also benefit from it themselves as it helps them to develop and to improve their communication, listening and organisational skills.

Mentors undergo training to help them to understand their role, to address challenges and problems that might arise and to plan for the year. They are also supported by a liaison teacher.

ACTIVITIES

The 5th year mentors met up with 1st year students on Friday 6th of October for an informal chat:

TRAINING WORKSHOP - 31st August

The 5th year Mentors participated in a training workshop with Mr. Seamus Whitty on Thursday 31st of August from 9.40 a.m. to 3.35.

WELCOMING THE FIRST YEARS 2017:

Mentoring got off to a great start again this year with 29 of the Fifth Year mentors donning the uniform a day early to come in on Monday 28th of August to help with the orientation of the First Year students. They were on hand to greet the girls, to assist the class teachers and to bring them on a tour of the school.

ACTIVITY SESSION 2016:

All the 1st year students enjoyed an activity session with their 5th year class mentors on Thursday 8th of September 2016 in the gym, under the watchful eye of SRC coordinator Ms. Prendeville and other staff members. Lots of get-to-know you activities in their class groups helped the 1st years to adjust to being part of a new group of friends and also provided the mentors with an opportunity to learn names etc.